The Fuhrer of Amestris
by PolyginalWarrior
Summary: After a massive cyclone hits Winry's house, she's transported to a strange parallel Amestris. Will she be able to find her way home? Rated T for possible language. Just FYI this is a parody of the Wizard of Oz.
1. A Twister of Fate

I've returned with another story! Just a quick note before I start. My pattern of writing usually jumps between parody and original ideas. I started writing here with a parody (Ed in Wonderland) then moved on to an original idea (Kidnapped). So here's another parody! Enjoy!

It was a bright and beautiful day in the country and Winry was taking a quick moment after having just woken up to open her window and breathe in the crisp morning air. It was wonderful! She closed her eyes and thought of all the different ideas she was going to implement on her new project. She quivered in anticipation of all the intricacies she was planning and quickly dressed in her usual black shirt and grey overalls. She tied her hair back and tied a bandana around her head before grabbing a toolbox and running downstairs. She skidded to a halt as she came to the kitchen, seeing they had visitors again.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked, instantly suspicious.

Ed and Al looked at each nervously. Ed was sitting on the right side of the table with his right arm hidden under the table. He was turned to the right just enough so she couldn't see his arm.

"Or lack thereof." She thought bitterly.

They both quailed as they saw the venomous look in Winry's eyes. Ed gave his brother one more quick glance before saying, "It's actually a funny story Winry. You see…"

WHACK!

Ed keeled over as Winry's faithful wrench slammed directly into his forehead. Al instantly got up and leaned over the table to see Ed twitching on the ground, a trickle of blood running from his forehead. Al quickly went around the table and helped Ed stand up. Ed rubbed the blood off his forehead and glared at Winry.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

"Why do you think you idiot?" She yelled back, getting up, or down, whatever, in his face. "The only time you ever come to see me is when your arm is totaled! So what happened this time? A fight with a serial killer? A dangerous obstacle in your search? A non-human entity bent on immortality? What?"

"It was nothing like that Winry." Al quickly said, cutting Ed off before he could get started.

"Then what happened?" Winry said, sitting exasperatedly.

"Well…" They both said.

Flashback

Ed and Al stood just outside the Eastern HQ in an alley in the poring rain. Ed had gone back to check in to see if Mustang had returned from the South, but he was still down there. He had sent another postcard to Ed, but it was just more of the same threats. Ed had crumpled it up and wasn't worried about it.

"At least I'm off duty until he gets back." Ed said, resting his back against the brickwork of the building. "It's nice not to worry about the Military."

Al didn't say anything. Ed looked down the alley and saw Al bent over something. Instantly his "Al's got a kitten" sense started tingling and he marched over to the giant suit of armor. He waited until he was right behind Al before yelling out, "What are you doing?"

Al jumped up in surprise, slamming his chest plate back into place. He glanced fearfully over his shoulder as he snapped the plate back into place. Ed crossed his arms and repeated his question.

"N-nothing!" Al said defensively. "You don't always have to be so suspicious brother!"

Ed sighed and said, "I wouldn't have to be so suspicious if every time you saw a kitten in the rain you picked it up!"

"Well, I didn't this time. I promise you I don't have a kitten."

Almost on cue a purring sound was heard from within Al. He broke up in a sweat. Ed tapped one foot, his eyebrow raised.

"Well…maybe…"

Ed didn't wait for him to finish. He grabbed Al's chest plate and started undoing it.

"Ed, no don't!" Al cried out grabbing his brother's mechanical arm.

"Al we've been through this a thousand times! Just let the kitten go!"

"No! Not this time! We're keeping this one!" He tightened his grip.

"No means no Al!"

"NO!" He pulled Ed's arm away from his chest plate.

A horrible metal squealing was heard as Ed's automail arm ripped out of its socket. Ed was too shocked at what he saw to feel any pain. They both stared in horror at the now limp piece of metal. Al turned slowly to look at Ed.

"Winry's going to kill you!"

End Flashback

Winry stared at the brother's in disbelief.

"You're kidding right?"

They shook their heads. This was dead serious. Winry sighed and knocked her head onto the table. She knocked her head against the wooden surface again and again before standing up and saying, "I'll have it done by tomorrow."

And so with her plans dashed against the proverbial rocks, Winry dejectedly climbed the stairs to her workshop where she began working on a replacement arm for Ed. She heard muted conversation coming from downstairs. It only lasted a few minutes before she heard the front door open and close. The sounds of Al's clinking armor floated in on the breeze. She glanced out the window and saw the brothers sitting under a nearby tree. She sighed as she watched them. It never failed. Winry was always happy to see Ed and Al, but the only times they ever came was when they needed her to make something for Ed. After Ed told her what he wanted he and Al went outside for however long it was going to take and Winry shut herself up in her workshop where she toiled away for hours before reattaching Ed's broken limb, or limbs, and then they were gone again. They hardly passed a friendly word or had a normal conversation about what was going on in their lives. That was another thing Winry hated. Those two always kept secrets from her! Just thinking about all the times she had worried her hours away wondering whether or not Ed and Al were dead or alive or in some kind of mortal danger made her blood boil!

She tossed down the screwdriver she had been using and slammed her hands down on the bench.

"That's it! I've had enough! I'm going out and those two can just wait for their repairs!"

So Winry left her room and opened the back door. Instantly Den heard the door opening and came running. Winry smiled at him and said, "You want to go for a walk Den?"

Den barked in agreement and Winry laughed. They both headed down a path in the back of the house towards town. They wouldn't be seen by Ed or Al until it was too late, and she wasn't planning to go all the way to town anyway. Just a nice long walk to clear her thoughts and focus back on the repairs. Winry never leashed Den and Den knew never to run too far ahead of her. Down the winding dirt path the pair went occasionally stopping for Den to do his business against trees or bushes. After about a mile out, the wind started picking up and dark yellow clouds started gathering in the sky. Den whined and his tail hung between his legs. Winry looked concernedly at the clouds and said, "We should probably head back Den."

Den whined and ran back towards the house. Winry hurried to catch up to him. Meanwhile, back at the house, Ed and Al were staring up at a frightening sight in the sky. A huge cyclone was twisting down from the sky directly towards the house! Thinking fast, Ed clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. A small trapdoor appeared and he flung it open revealing a small shelter.

"Come on Al, get in! We have to protect ourselves!"

Al looked down at his brother jumping into the shelter. "But what about Winry?"

"There's nothing we can do about her for now! She's resourceful, I'm sure she'll think of something!"

Al looked worriedly out towards the horizon, hoping to see Winry run up. But she didn't and he knew he was going to get hurt, in a sense, if he stayed outside, so he jumped into the shelter and closed the small trapdoor, which disappeared as soon as it was shut. Just as the trapdoor disappeared, Winry appeared on the horizon, running towards the house. Den barked at the swiftly descending cyclone and Winry shrieked in fear. They didn't get many storms like this in Resembool, so they'd never thought to build a storm cellar. Winry quickly ran into the house with Den and tried to think of the safest place. Then it came to her! The regular cellar, of course! She quickly ran to the basement door and wrenched it open. Just as she opened it, the cyclone hit the house. The wind was nearly deafening for poor Winry and she nearly toppled down the stairs, banging her head hard against the door frame. Tears sprang into her eyes, but she wiped them away and glared down at the basement. But the basement wasn't there. Where the basement had been there was now just a swirling vortex of dirt, debris, and shrieking wind. Winry's heart thumped loudly as she realized the entire house had been lifted off its foundations and into the cyclone! She slammed the door, cutting off most of the noise and ran upstairs to her room, nearly tripping over the bed as it slid across the floor. The house jerked and tipped from side to side and Winry scrabbled to find something to hold on to. Suddenly, her stomach leapt into her throat as the house began to fall. Den panicked and jumped on top of Winry. She hugged Den and closed her eyes until she felt a sickening thump as the house crashed to the ground.

Winry slowly looked up and around. Everything in her room was in disarray, but she had expected that. She checked herself over to make sure she didn't break any bones, and then stood up carefully. She felt fine except for the pain in her head from hitting the doorframe and a little soreness from the jostling house. She ran downstairs and found the rest of the house in about the same shape. With Den at her side, she opened the door to the house to see the damage the cyclone had wreaked outside. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she saw not the rolling hills and calm mountains of Resembool, but a harsh unforgiving desert with several shabby looking tents and tenements set up all around her house. She looked down at Den, who tilted his head at her.

"Den, I don't think we're in Amestris anymore."

Ending Note: Yes! Back with more parody action! I hope you'll enjoy this, as I'm having a good time writing it. Please be kind in your reviews and don't flame, because I won't read it.


	2. The Wicked Alchemist is Dead!

Okay, here's the next chapter. No reviews yet, but that doesn't discourage me in the least.

Winry wandered out and looked around. The hot desert air was thick and humid. Winry felt her clothes sticking in uncomfortable places already. Den was panting by her side, stopping every once in awhile to try and shake sand out of the joints of his automail leg. Despite several dwellings the whole place appeared to be deserted. Not a single soul was in sight.

"I wonder if anyone lives here?" She said to herself. Den's ears perked up and he growled, his nose questing the air in front of him.

Winry looked questioningly at Den, and then looked where he was staring. An old man had emerged from one of the small dwellings and was staring at Winry. His skin was brown, wrinkled, and spotted in some places. He was bald except for a small strip of white hair on the top of his head and he sported a long beard and mustache. His clothes were simple and tattered and he walked with a slight bend to his back. Winry didn't know what to say so she just waited for the old man to approach her.

"Excuse me young lady, but where did you come from?"

Winry thought back to the cyclone and the way her house had been lifted from the ground, but decided he wouldn't believe her, so she simply said, "From Resembool."

"But that's all the way to the West! Are you an Alchemist?"

Winry shook her head, "No, I'm an automail mechanic."

"Automail?" The man looked confused. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"My dog has it." Winry said, indicating Den.

The old man examined the artificial limb and seemed impressed. "That's fine work young lady."

Winry blushed, always happy to accept a compliment from someone. Suddenly, she saw movement behind the old man and looked up. More people, most with the same brown skin and tattered clothes emerged from the dwellings looking nervous. Winry saw women holding babies, men holding makeshift weapons, and children grabbing desperately to their mother's skirts, looks of hopelessness and fear evident on their faces. The old man turned to them and said, "Don't be frightened! The young lady is no Alchemist."

The people sighed in relief and relaxed considerably. They came and introduced themselves to Winry, asking questions about her automail skills, where she came from, and how she survived the cyclone.

"I was in my house and the cyclone picked it up and the next thing I knew it had dropped me off here."

The crowd gasped as they heard this. The girl had arrived in a flying house? They took a few steps back, nervous again. The old man came forward and explained.

"Please excuse our suspicions young lady. We are Ishbalen refugees, forced to live in this makeshift camp in the desert to the East on the edge of Amestris. The military from Central, would be bounty hunters, and agitators have arrived countless time to make trouble for us. Not only that, but the Wicked Alchemist of the West's sister has plagued us with her wickedness for as long as anyone can remember."

Winry thought about this. She knew after the Ishbalen War many Ishbalens had fled to refugee camps to avoid aggression from the military and dissenters of the war alike. But she'd never heard about the Wicked Alchemist of the West or her sister. She knew there were deserts around the edges of Amestris too, so that was still logical.

"Alright, but I'm not an alchemist. And isn't there a lot of alchemists in Central and the other military headquarters?"

The old man looked surprised and said, "No young lady. There are only three known Alchemists in all of Amestris! One is the Wicked Alchemist of the West, the other is her sister, the Wicked Alchemist of the East, and the last is the Glorious Fuhrer of Amestris."

Winry was stunned. This obviously wasn't the Amestris she knew. What had happened inside that cyclone?

Before anything else could be said, a young girl who had been examining the house suddenly cried out, "Look!"

Everyone rushed over to the house and gasped at what they saw. A pair of legs with striped stockings was sticking out from under the house. The fringes of a gaudy looking dress were also visible. Sparkling on the leg's feet was a pair of blood red shoes. They were a deep, glowing red with a smooth candy shell look to them. Winry knew if she touched them they would feel warm, almost alive. The Ishbalens looked at the legs, then at each other. They all threw up their hands and laughed and cheered! Some danced, others ran up to shake Winry's hands, and the rest chanted, "She's dead! At last the Wicked Alchemist of the East is dead!"

Winry felt a little sick. She'd never killed anyone before, directly or indirectly. She knew it wasn't really her fault, but she couldn't help but feel responsible for this. The old man looked at her face wrought with despair and touched her on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it young lady. She was an evil woman who ruled the areas to the East despotically."

Winry was about to answer, but was interrupted by a voice.

"Well, what's going on here?"

The Ishbalens all stopped celebrating as they heard this new voice. A woman was standing by the door to Winry's house, a hood covering her face and a cape shrouding her features. She walked over to the side of the house and looked down at the legs sticking out from under the house.

"So the vain fool is finally dead then?"

The woman pulled down her hood to reveal her black braids tied tight to her head. She smiled at Winry and said, "And if I'm not mistaken you are responsible for this?"

Winry nodded and said, "But it was an accident! The cyclone picked up my house and dropped it here! I wasn't steering it or anything!"

The woman laughed and said, "I know, but I wouldn't worry about it. By the time the Alchemist of the West finds out, you'll be well on your way out of here."

Winry suddenly recognized this woman!

"You're Izumi Curtis! Ed and Al's teacher!"

Izumi frowned and said, "Yes, my name is Izumi but how do you know that?"

"We've met before! Don't you remember?"

"We've never met before and I've certainly never taught anyone anything. What would I have to teach?"

"Alchemy of course!"

"Only three people in Amestris can perform Alchemy and I'm certainly not one of them!"

Winry was confused all over again. She knew this woman was Izumi, by her actions, hair, and voice, everything about her was Izumi. But she didn't recognize Winry at all, and they had met several times.

"I'm so confused." Winry said, sitting on the ground.

Izumi sat next to and picked up a nearby stick. "Let me explain a few things to you and maybe you'll understand better."

She sketched a large oval in the sand and drew an X through the whole thing. She marked the East, South, West, North, and Central City on the map and began to explain the geography.

"This is the country of Amestris where we currently are. This area," She tapped the center. "is Central City where the ruler of Amestris, the Fuhrer, resides. The current Fuhrer is much different from previous Fuhrers and has lasted longer than any of the other Fuhrers throughout the history of this country. While past Fuhrers have ruled over Amestris collectively, the current Fuhrer divided Amestris equally into four areas. We are currently in the East, the bread basket of Amestris, the center of Agriculture. The entire area was ruled over by Etnad before you killed her. Her sister rules the area to the West. Both of the sisters have long since seceded from Amestris and rule their areas as separate countries. With Etnad dead, her sister will try to take the lands to the East as her own to strengthen her campaign against the Fuhrer, while the Fuhrer will strive to regain the lands as his own. The South is largely uninhabited with swamps and bogs, hardly suitable for living, so a small Senate rules there under the Fuhrer. The North, the technological nerve center of Amestris, where our cars, trains, and other devices are largely manufactured, is run by an unknown monarch appointed by the Fuhrer. No one has ever seen him and he sends orders out by slips of paper passed through a small hole in a screen. As soon as you exit the desert, a road made of yellow brick runs through most of Amestris, a universal highway of sorts. This desert is only a small portion of the East, the rest being arable farmland. The Ishbalens were relocated here after the war and have been under the cruel influence of Etnad since. And that is a brief history of Amestris. Do you have any questions?"

Winry had thousands, but knew they would be useless. Somehow, that cyclone had picked her up and dropped her in another world, one that was similar to Amestris, yet significantly different. People, places, and landmarks were the same, but they played different roles than in the world Winry knew. She shook her head and said, "I need to find my way home. Can you help me?"

Izumi scuffed out the map and said, "You'll have to visit the Fuhrer. He's the only one who could be any help, being an Alchemist. If you follow the Yellow Brick Road you should find him within a few days. But if you're going to see the Fuhrer, you must change your clothes. They won't let you near him wearing oil stained coveralls."

Winry frowned at that remark but went inside to change. She quickly grabbed the first thing in her closet which was a blue checked dress and white pinafore her grandmother had bought her as a present. She obviously had no taste in clothes, but Winry decided it didn't matter who saw her in this place, because as soon as she got home no one would know she had been wearing it. She took off the slightly oily bandana and tied her hair into pigtails so her hair wouldn't fall into her face. It was going to be a long trek in the desert that much was certain. She splashed some water on her face in the kitchen before heading back outside. She was surprised to see a strange woman standing there holding what appeared to be a broomstick. She was wearing a bright red dress and cape with a pointed red hat, wide brimmed with a crown like a cone. She had short black hair and was currently talking to Izumi. Winry stopped on the porch of her house and listened.

"So I see my crystal ball didn't lie. There lays my sister crushed under a house! I suppose you're here to re-annex the areas of the East for the Fuhrer then?"

Izumi stared coldly back and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. The Fuhrer holds no sway over me!"

The woman in red laughed in a clear voice.

"How droll! Fine then, I'll just take the shoes and be on my way."

The woman turned around and Winry saw her face clearly for the first time. There was no mistaking that face. It was Dante. She glanced at Winry, smiling sweetly, before heading around the side of the house. Winry and Izumi followed her. The Ishbalens had disappeared, no doubt hiding in their tents and other shelters while Dante was here. When they got to where the legs were sticking out, they found Dante frantically searching for something. A wild look was in her eyes as her hands moved smoothly under the house, feeling for something and coming up short. She stood up and marched up to Izumi.

"Where are they?"

Izumi's face was the picture of innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Where are the shoes? The Blood Red Slippers! Where are they?"

Izumi shrugged and said, "Perhaps you should check that girl's feet."

Winry was surprised when she saw Izumi pointing at her. She looked down and was shocked to see those smooth red shoes on her feet. They glinted divinely in the desert heat.

"Whoah hey, I didn't ask for these!"

Dante stomped up to her and grabbed her face, bringing it close to hers.

"I believe you're wearing my shoes you little brat! Hand them over or you'll live to regret it!"

Den barked fiercely at Dante who merely gave him a withering look. Den immediately cowered, tail between his legs. Winry, angry that this woman would be so cruel, pushed her back and said, "I don't think so! They're my shoes now!"

Dante looked shocked, then angry. She clapped her hands and said, "So be it then!"

Before Dante could place her hands anywhere Izumi quickly said, "It doesn't matter what you do, those shoes won't come off."

Dante glared at Izumi and said, "More of your handiwork?"

Izumi glared back and said, "I'm no Alchemist."

Dante narrowed her eyes and said, "I don't know what you're playing at, but I'll be back. Those shoes will be mine yet!" She looked at Winry and said, "I'll get you my pretty! And your little dog too!"

Dante then placed her hands on the broom, red electricity jumping over it until it floated in the air. Dante mounted it and flew off towards the West. Winry bent down and felt the shoes. They felt just as smooth as they looked. Izumi walked over to her and said, "That was Dante the Wicked Alchemist of the West. Besides the Fuhrer she's the only one who can perform Alchemy."

Winry noticed Izumi was pronouncing alchemy and alchemist with capital letters. Alchemy was much different here, almost like magic. She glanced down at the legs and was surprised to see them curl over onto themselves in a roll before pulling under the house altogether. She quickly looked back at Izumi who was pointing towards the area where Dante flew off.

"The Yellow Brick Road passes right by Central City so make sure you don't go past it. Beyond Central is Dante's territory. She has Seven Winged Sins in her employ, so make sure you don't go too far. She's very evil and very powerful."

Winry nodded and started walking away. She turned around and said, "Thank you for everything Izumi!"

Izumi smiled and said, "Good luck little girl."

Winry stood up straight and walked off. She was prepared for the desert walk come what may or hell to pay.

Ending Note: Review, but don't flame.


	3. Someone Has to Milk the Cows

Hey, thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed my other stories. Here's the next bit.

Winry and Den had been walking for hours and yet the desert still hadn't ended. Den was panting while Winry was sweating bullets. Her head was bowed, her pigtails swinging rhythmically on either side of her face and drops of sweat were plopping onto the sand, leaving a small wet mark that was swiftly dried up. Finally Winry collapsed on her knees and grabbed two handfuls of sand hurling them into the air.

"I've had enough of this! I can't stand this desert anymore! When will it end?"

Suddenly Den started barking and scratching in the sand. Winry looked at him and saw he had uncovered something. She quickly ran over and started moving sand out of the way. Under the sand there seemed to be a strange yellow brick. She dug all around the brick and found more.

"This must be the Yellow Brick Road!" Winry said excitedly. "We're almost out of the desert! Come on Den!"

They both started running as fast as they could up and over dunes of sand in a straight line, following the road that was buried under the sand. Soon the desert sand starting turning into tufts of grass. Sweat was pouring into Winry's eyes and she swiftly wiped her face off with a corner of the pinafore she was wearing since her hands were tacky with sweat and sand. When she could see again she clearly saw fields of grain interspersed with a few houses. She ran faster and soon heard the clattering of a road under her shoes and not the dry low thumping of sand. She ran over to the nearest tree which provided shade and collapsed under it, breathing heavily. Den came trotting up shortly after, shaking his automail leg fiercely before settling down and panting himself. Winry looked over to the desert and was surprised to see how suddenly sand turned into grass. It was like the desert and farmland were separated by a glass wall or something. Winry rubbed her aching feet and said, "My feet are killing me! These shoes are so tight!"

Winry grabbed the left shoe and tried to tug it off. It wouldn't come off. She pulled harder and harder, twisting and wriggling, trying everything she could think of to get it off, but it wouldn't come off!

"AUGH! Come off you damn shoe!"

She collapsed against the tree in defeat. The shoes would not come off.

"Someone must've tampered with them using Alchemy or something." Winry said to herself. Den's ear twitched, but his eyes stayed closed. "Only Etnad, Dante, or the Fuhrer could've done that though. The Fuhrer was no where in the vicinity and Dante wanted the shoes for herself so she wouldn't make them stick on to me. Etnad was already dead so she couldn't have done it…but then who?"

Izumi's face flashed in her mind. Izumi claimed she didn't know Alchemy, but now Winry wasn't so sure. Then again, to what purpose did it serve Izumi to make the Blood Red Slippers stick to Winry? Wiry shrugged and stood up, dusting the last remnants of sand from her dress. It didn't really matter, as long as she could see the Fuhrer and get home. She patted her leg with one hand and Den got up and walked over to her. They both started walking down the Yellow Brick Road through the Eastern Region on the way to Central. There wasn't much to see in the way of decoration or landmarks. Just farmland, farmland, farmland. Eventually the fields of grain gave way to fields of potatoes, then cabbage, then corn, and finally a small dairy farm was evident. A couple of cows were out to pasture and a small boy with his back to her was milking the cows. There weren't many cows in Resembool, so Winry stopped to get a closer look. Den growled at the animals.

"Don't growl at the cows Den. You'll scare them."

"Honey, it's going to take a little more than that mutt to scare us. And don't be rude by calling us cows! We are obviously sentient Cows!"

"I'm-I'm sorry! I didn't realize you could speak! There aren't many co-I mean Cows where I come from."

The Cow lowed and turned up her nose and Winry before lumbering away.

"Stuck up piece of prime rib…" Winry muttered darkly under her breath. "Let's go Den."

Before she could leave, the boy who was milking the cows ran up to the fence, calling out to her.

"Hey! You! Girl! Wait! I need your help!"

Winry stopped and was shocked to see Ed calling out to her! He wasn't wearing his usual black shirt, pants, shoes, and red coat combo, nor was his hair braided, but it was him all the same. Instead, his hair was tied back in a ponytail with a piece of leather and he was wearing a straw hat. Replacing the red coat was a green vest and white undershirt with khaki pants and a different style of black shoes. Winry quickly composed herself. This may look like Ed, but it wasn't the Ed she knew. The Ed she knew was back home. Despite feeling neglected by the Elrics, she still felt a pang of homesickness thinking about them. All the more reason to hurry to see the Fuhrer!

"Yes?" She said. "What's wrong?"

"I need your help!" Ed said again. "There's a witch living there that's making me milk these damn cow day after day!"

"Cows! With a capital C!" The snooty Cow called out.

"Oh shut the hell up! I'm sick and tired of listening to you complain!" He yelled out to the Cow. She just sniffed and lumbered further away. Before Ed could turn back to Winry, the farmhouse door opened and Pinako stepped out.

"Edward! Are you shirking your chores again?"

"Aw crap!" Ed said, turning around.

Winry watched as Pinako advanced towards Edward. For Ed, who despised milk (the very sight of which makes him sick, as we all know), this was torture. Thinking fast, Winry grabbed Ed by the shoulders and hoisted him over the edge of the fence and yelled out, "RUN!"

They both ran as fast as they could away from Pinako's dairy farm. Pinako didn't bother trying to run after them. She wouldn't be able to keep up.

"That's the fourteenth milker I've lost in a month! Oh well. I'd better put another Ad in the Personals."

She put her pipe in her mouth, lit it up, and calmly walked back inside.

After running for ten minutes Ed and Winry came to a stop, panting for breath.

"I think…we lost her." Winry said, between gasps.

"Thanks…for the help." Ed answered.

"No problem. Why were you there anyway?"

"After our mother died, my brother and I were separated and forced to work in two different places in the Eastern Region. I was sent here but I don't know where my brother is."

It was at this time, that Winry noticed Ed's arm. It wasn't automail. Another difference from her Amestris!

"So, what's your brother like?" Winry asked, wanting to know what to expect.

"Well, when he was a baby he was cursed by Etnad who used Alchemy to trap his soul inside a suit of armor. It's fused shut, so we could never find out if the Alchemy left a mark or a symbol. It usually does."

Winry quickly looked over her shoes. No mark whatsoever. Then maybe no one did tamper with them…but then why wouldn't they come off?

"Well I've got to go. Good luck finding your brother." Winry said, heading down the road again.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Me? I'm going to see the Fuhrer so he can help me find my way home."

"Really? Can I come with you?" Ed asked.

"What for?" Winry said, curious.

"Well, this road runs right through the Eastern Region, so there's a good chance I'll find him if I come with you. Also, I wanted to ask the Fuhrer for something myself."

"Oh! You want him to make you taller don't you?" Winry asked slyly.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE'D DROWN IN A DROP OF WATER YOU JERK?"

Winry held up her hands and said, "Sorry! I didn't mean anything by it!" Some things were the same, no matter where you went…

Ed eventually calmed down and they headed down the Yellow Brick Road, hoping that the Fuhrer would be able to help them…

Ending Note: That's it for this part. The Tin Man makes his appearance next chapter. I suppose it's not very hard figuring out who he is…

Review please, but no flames!


	4. Enter Al

Thank you again for the reviews! You make me so happy! Here's the next bit.

Winry and Ed had been walking for hours down the Yellow Brick Road and yet the terrain was all the same. Nothing but farmland and yellow brick as far as the eye could see. Winry's feet were aching from the tight shoes and her stockings were getting extremely sweaty from all the walking. She wished she could take off the shoes so she could at least air out her feet. After pulling at her stockings for the fiftieth time Ed finally said, "Why don't you just take them off?"

Winry sighed and said, "I can't. Something is keeping them on."

Ed looked skeptical and said, "Let me try."

He grabbed the shoes and nearly pulled his hands back at the warm pulsing feeling the shoes gave off, almost like a heartbeat. He ran his fingers over the smooth shoes and looked surprised. "Someone used Alchemy on this…"

Winry looked surprised. How did this Edward know that? "But I thought you couldn't do Alchemy." Winry said.

"I can't." Ed replied, standing up. "But there's just something about those shoes that I feel like I've seen before."

"I'll take your word for it. I don't suppose you have a way to take them off do you?"

Ed laughed and said, "Are you kidding? I couldn't do Alchemy to save my life. Come on, let's get going."

As Winry and Ed continued down the Yellow Brick Road, they had no idea they were being watched by an evil force far in the West. Inside a huge mansion in the mountains Dante was watching the pair through an Alchemy enhanced crystal ball. She smirked as she clapped her hands and placed them on the crystal, moving them over it and causing red lightning to spark across the surface. Thunder rumbled ominously as she did this.

"So that little girl thinks she can escape with my shoes? The lightning from this storm will fry her pretty little head and those shoes will be mine!"

She looked up from the crystal ball and called out, "Wrath! Lust! Envy! Gluttony! Get in here now!"

The door burst open and four of the Seven Winged Sins flew in. Each sin, in addition to their unique powers, had a pair of strong black wings. Their hands and feet were like paws and their nails were ragged and dirty. They each landed and looked sullenly on at Dante. She smiled at them and said, "That was prompt of you for once, my lazy creations. Now, I have a job for one of you. I don't care which of you actually does it, it just has to get done. Once that girl," She pointed at Winry in the crystal. "is dead, you must take the Blood Red Slippers from her. If her companion tries to interfere, kill him. I won't have Wrath go, since he's so young." She patted Wrath on the head, who grinned maliciously at his partners. He was in good with Dante, meaning all the hard work would fall on them. Envy seethed, wanting to give Wrath a swift kick in his ass, but he didn't dare to it with Dante watching. He didn't want to end up like Greed…Gluttony just sucked absently on his finger. Dante arched her eyebrow at him then at Lust. It was obvious what that look meant. Lust sighed and said, "Fine, I'll go." She spread her wings and flew out the open window to the Yellow Brick Road. Thunder crashed and lightning flashed as she flew away.

"What happens if she gets struck by lightning?" Envy asked.

"She's expendable as you all know." Dante smiled slightly and clapped her hands adjusting the crystal ball again. The remaining Sins looked at each other. Gluttony sniffled a little and wandered out of the room while Envy crossed his arms and gave Wrath the kick he deserved. Before Dante could look up and see why Wrath had cried out, Envy was gone out of the room.

Back on the Yellow Brick Road, Winry looked nervously at the storm clouds gathering.

"We should find a shelter and fast!" she said to Ed.

Ed smiled calmly and said, "Why? It's just a rain storm."

"Well, I just don't trust storms anymore, that's all." She replied.

Before Ed could answer, lightning struck very close to them! They both jumped and Ed said, "Maybe we should find shelter…"

They started running down the Yellow Brick Road, lightning striking the ground all around them. Winry came close to getting fried five or six times before they finally saw a log cabin in the distance. Winry pointed it out to Ed and they both ran for it. As though sensing its prey was escaping, the lightning crashed down more and more frequently until a straight line of strikes was following close behind them. Ed reached the cabin first and wrenched it open, Den, howling loudly, ran past him and into the cabin. Winry nearly tripped as a bolt of lightning nicked her shoes. Ed grabbed her before she could fall and helped her into the cabin. He quickly shut the door bolted it for safety's sake. The storm clouds obscured the sky, casting shadows all around. The cabin was dark and slightly foreboding, as axes were hanging all over the room. Ed searched for a lamp as Winry looked around the cabin for whoever owned it.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Winry called out.

"Hello?" a voice called back. "Who's there? Why are you here?"

Winry glanced around the room, but couldn't see who the voice was coming from. Yet is sounded oddly familiar…

"I'm Winry Rockbell and this is Edward Elric. We just came here to get out of the rain."

"Did you say Edward Elric?" the voice asked excitedly.

Before Winry could answer, she heard a strange rhythmic metal clanging. A lamp flared into life and Winry briefly saw Ed smiling in triumph before he was gathered up into a tight hug by a walking suit of armor.

"Oh Brother, it's so good to see you again!"

"Can't breathe!" was all Ed managed to gasp out.

"Oh! Sorry Brother." Al said, letting his brother down.

Winry made her way over to the brothers and looked Al over. He looked exactly as he did in her world. This came as a kind of relief for her. Ed saw her walking over and said, "Hey Winry! This is the brother I was telling you about!"

"I'm very pleased to meet you." Al said, shaking Winry's hand. "Have you been keeping my brother out of trouble?"

Winry laughed as Ed yelled out, "What do you mean, 'keeping me out of trouble'?!?!?!?"

It felt good to laugh with the Elrics again. Yet the more time she spent in this strange world, the more she longed to be with the Elrics she knew and grew up with. It just wasn't the same…

She stared longingly out the window and noticed the storm had stopped raging, the clouds clearing and revealing the sun once more.

"Hey guys!" She said. "The storm's over!"

They all stepped outside and Ed said, "So Al, what've you been up to this whole time?"

"I used to live here with a woodcutter, but he left to go into the woods near the West and never came back. So I've just been living here by myself for the last few years."

"How lonely you must've been!" Winry said sympathetically.

"Hey, how come you weren't so sympathetic when you met me?" Ed asked.

"Because living alone for years and years is hardly comparable to being forced to milk cows!" Winry said.

Al laughed as he heard this and Ed fumed.

"So where are you two headed anyway?" Al asked.

"We're going to see the Fuhrer." Winry said. "I need a way to get back home, and Ed needs something he wouldn't tell me about."

Al looked questioningly at Ed before saying, "Are you going to ask about your dreams?"

Ed nodded but wouldn't say anything else on the matter. Winry could only wonder what Ed's dreams were…

"I'm coming with you." Al announced. "The Fuhrer should be able to undo the curse Etnad put on me right?"

"Of course!" Winry said, not knowing what the Fuhrer was capable of.

And so Winry, Ed, and Al continued on the journey down the Yellow Brick Road. But their path would be fraught with danger, for Dante has not yet given up on getting the Blood Red Slippers…

Ending Note: Boy, is this late! If anyone is still reading, enjoy! And review please!


	5. The Half Life of a Sin

On and on, the Yellow Brick Road stretched and still there was no sign of Central. Winry was quickly getting fed up with this cross country trek, while Ed and Al were talking about something with each other in low whispers. She knew they were talking about whatever Ed's dreams were about. Even here, in this strange world, they were keeping secrets from her…

This thought was driven quickly out of her mind when a low grumbling sound filled the air. She looked over at Ed who was blushing.

"I guess I'm hungry." He said sheepishly.

Winry smiled and said, "Alright then, let's find something to eat."

"Don't worry, there's a Pail Tree a little ways off the Yellow Brick Road." Al said, pointing.

"What's a Pail Tree?" Winry asked.

"That's right; you're not from this world." Ed said. "I keep forgetting. Well, a Pail Tree is just like a fruit tree, but instead of fruit growing on it, there are lunch pails."

"Everything is so different here…" Winry whispered to herself. "I just want to go home…"

Ed and Al had already started heading toward the tree, so she ran to catch up with them. As the trio harvested lunch from the Pail Tree, Lust was panting heavily, watching them. She had been struck by lightning during the storm and was badly hurt. Her wings were torn, her paw-like hands were bent and broken, and her dress was badly torn, showing deep red gashes on her skin. She was surprised to see Winry alive. Dante had been in a specific fury when she created that storm. Most people would've been reduced to ashes. But this girl was not only alive, but unharmed! Lust was fed up with Dante's tyranny. Dante had created her and the others, but what existence was worth having if you were a slave? Perhaps these three travelers would accept her. They were going to see the Fuhrer after all. Maybe he could help her as well…

Lust made up her mind and started climbing down the branches, wincing at the constant pain. When she was a few feet from the ground, she collapsed and fell in a heap next to the travelers. They all jumped up in surprise. Her eyes were quickly losing focus. The last thing she saw before fainting was the boy with the ponytail approaching her.

Ed carefully approached the apparently unconscious creature and bent over her. He turned her on her back and Winry gasped as she saw the gashes, the shape of her wings, and the twisted torture of her paws. Ed stood up and turned to the other two, a grim look on his face.

"This is one of Dante's Seven Winged Sins!" he said.

"What's she doing here I wonder?" Al asked.

"She's probably here to try and get the Blood Red Slippers from me." Winry said.

"So that's what those are!" Al said. "I thought they looked familiar!"

"You know about these shoes?" she asked.

"Not much. They're pretty mysterious. They say that Dante gave them to Etnad as a gift when they started ruling the East and West." Al explained.

"But why does she want them so badly?" Winry said.

"I have no idea." Al replied.

Winry looked over at Ed and was shocked to see he was holding a knife in his hand, getting ready to slit the Sin's throat!

"Stop! What are you doing?" Winry said, running over to Ed.

"What does it look like? I'm going to kill this thing before it wakes up!"

"But you can't! She hasn't done anything to hurt anyone!"

"You don't know what these things are like! They've been terrorizing the country since the Fuhrer's been in power! They fly around doing Dante's dirty work, killing people who oppose her, destroying homes, reducing farmland to ash! They're monsters and death is what they deserve!"

Winry shook her head and said, "No! Look at her! Why would she have shown herself to us in this vulnerable state? She needs our help!"

Ed gripped the knife tightly and looked down at the Sin. He sighed and said, "Fine. Do what you want with it."

He threw the knife into the tree where it quivered slightly. Winry beckoned Al over and said, "What do you think we should do?"

Al reached into a small bag that was concealed by a small break in his armor and pulled out a small brown bottle.

"This should help. It's a special medicine the woodcutter gave me before he went into the West. It can heal almost any injury."

Winry took the bottle and uncorked it. Attached to the cork was a small brush. She dipped the brush into the bottle and pulled it out, bringing a strong earthy smell out with it. She carefully stroked the over the gashes and was amazed to see them steam slightly and close up. Once all the cuts were healed she poured the liquid over her paws and wings. There was a quiet rustling sound as her bones reset themselves and a sharp crack as the wing joints reattached to her shoulder. Slowly, her eyes opened.

Lust's eyes regained their focus and she saw Winry looking down at her in concern. Behind her a large suit of armor was also watching her. Behind him, the boy with the ponytail was glaring at her with his arms crossed. She sat up and said, "Thank you for saving me."

Winry smiled and said, "You should really thank Al over there. He's the one who had the medicine."

Lust got slowly to her feet and flexed her wings. All her injuries were completely healed. She said, "I don't expect you to trust me, but I need your help."

Ed snorted and said, "I'll bet."

Lust stared at him and said, "I'm through with Dante. I originally came here to retrieve the shoes, but I was struck down by Dante's storm. She doesn't care for me or for the other Sins. She only cares about herself. My existence is one of slavery. Dante created us with no will or conscience. To her dismay, we gained will, and some of us realized what we were doing was wrong. But by then it was too late. I can't say I regret what I did, because I don't find them wrong when I think back. But I'm through following her orders. Will you let me come with you to see the Fuhrer? I want to ask him for Life. True Life, and not this half existence of slavery and destruction."

Winry nodded and said, "Of course you can come with us."

Ed didn't say anything. He didn't like the idea of a Sin coming with them, but he would put up with it to see the Fuhrer. They all headed back to the Yellow Brick Road and continued down the path.

In her castle in the West, Dante smiled as she saw Lust leaving her employ. No matter. She was expendable after all.

"Keep strolling on, like ants to sugar. But know this: I'll make sure you never reach the Fuhrer!"

With that she clapped her hands and moved them swiftly over the crystal ball, readying a plan of devastating power.

Ending Note: I decided to add Chapter Five right after Chapter Four since the wait between Chapter Three and Four was so long. Review!


	6. Field of Poison, Town of Promise

Thank you so much for the review! It has motivated me to write up the next chapter!

There was a frosty silence as the four travelers walked down the Yellow Brick Road. Winry and Al were both content in trusting the reformed Sin Lust, but Ed still wasn't convinced. He kept his right hand in his pocket, clutching the knife, waiting to see if Lust made any sudden moves. But she had no intention of harming anyone. It was with relief, that they finally saw Central City in the distance. They stopped for a moment on top of a hill and gazed at it in wonder. It was a magnificent city, the likes of which this Ed and Al had never seen before. Winry had of course seen it many times while visiting her Ed and Al and Lust knew it all too well. Many times Dante had sent the Sins on a rampage in the city, attempting to overthrow the Fuhrer. All the attacks had failed due to the Fuhrer's mastery of Alchemy. But first and foremost on everyone's mind was what the Fuhrer could do for them. For Lust, her Life. For Ed, the meaning of his strange dreams. For Al, a way to undo Etnad's curse. And for Winry, a way to return home at last. Winry grabbed Ed's hand, who grabbed Al's hand, who grabbed Lust's hand. Winry turned to the others and said, "Let's go!"

And they ran down the hill, hand in hand, towards the wonderful city. In her mansion in the West, Dante sneered at them, her hands running all the faster over her crystal ball.

"You fools won't be smiling after this! Deadliest is the subtle poison. Sprout, my poppies, sprout and release the intoxicating scent you're known for!"

Halfway to the city, which they now saw was surrounded by a gate, the land in front of them seemed to blur and shift. Each traveler closed his or her eyes and reopened them. A field of poppies had suddenly appeared! They paid them no mind and kept running. Unfortunately, halfway through the field, Winry and Ed started feeling sluggish and dizzy. They slowed to a walk and Winry fell to her knees. Ed tried to help her up, but ended up falling over as well.

"Ed! Winry! What's wrong?" Al said, crouching down to them.

"So…tired…" Winry muttered, falling on her side, her eyes closing shut.

Ed had already fallen asleep.

"Ed! Winry!" Al shook them slightly, trying to wake them up. "What's wrong with them?"

"Dante." Lust said. "She's used Alchemy to create these flowers. I've seen her use this trick before. These are poppies."

"Poppies?" Al said. "What're those?"

"Flowers that carry an intoxicating scent. It'll put even the fiercest creature to sleep. We are not affected because you have no true body, and I am not truly alive."

"But what are we going to do?"

"There's not much we can do." Lust said. "I'll fly up and see what I can see."

Lust's wings flapped once, hard, and she was in the air. Al tried to stand Ed up, but he just slumped from his arms. He lifted Winry up and shook her slightly again, but to no avail. Even Den was dead asleep, not even twitching in a dream. Just when Al was about to lose it, a voice said, "What's wrong?"

Al looked up and saw a strange figure wearing a hooded cloak.

"Hey, why aren't you affected by the poppies?"

The stranger didn't reply, but bent down over Ed and clapped her hands. A small blue light erupted up and down the length of Ed's body. His eyes shut tight for a second, then slowly opened. She then repeated the process on Winry. As Winry opened her eyes, the stranger's swam into focus in her eyes, but only for a moment. As Winry and Ed sat up, the mysterious woman had disappeared.

"What happened?" Ed asked, stifling a yawn. "Why do I feel so tired?"

As Al explained what happened, and Lust returned to the ground seeing Ed and Winy awake, Winry gazed into the distance. She had seen Izumi's face staring down at her. But that didn't make sense. She didn't know Alchemy, had seemed offended that she was associated with it, even in a mistake. Before Winry had time to contemplate this further, Ed put a hand on her shoulder and said, "You okay?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "Let's go!"

The four travelers quickly left the poppies behind and approached the gate into Central City. The gate stretched so far up, it completely concealed the city. There was a small round hole covered with a tiny door. Winry knocked on it and it opened revealing Havoc staring back at them.

"Yeah?" He said, without concern.

"Uh…we're here to see the Fuhrer." Winry said.

Havoc sighed and said, "Nobody gets to see the Fuhrer. Not with Dante's Sins flying around."

He was about to close the door when Lust stopped him.

"Excuse me, but I think it's important that the Fuhrer sees this girl."

"And why is that lady?"

"Look at what she's wearing."

Havoc's eyes traveled down Winry's ugly checked dress and stockings down to the Blood Red Slippers. His eyes widened as he saw them and he disappeared from the window. They heard the unmistakable whir of a phone being dialed and Havoc's voice muttering something. He reappeared a short time later and said, "Alright you can get in."

They all stood back as they expected the gigantic gate to swing open. But all that happened was a small door opened in the bottom right side of the door. Havoc stepped out and said, "Why are you standing so far away?"

They all quickly ran forward and entered Central City.

In the West, Dante kicked her crystal ball across the room, nearly hitting Wrath who was sitting nearby. She clapped her hands and grabbed her broom, jumping out the window and flying towards Central.

"Those shoes are mine! And I will take them back!"

A thick black smoke started issuing from the back of her broom. She would send a message for all of Central City to see!

Ending Note: Done and done! I hope you enjoy it! Review!


	7. An Impossible Task?

I'm on a roll here and don't want to stop it, so here's the next part!

Havoc quickly led them through the bustling city on the way to the government building. People stopped to stare, as no one was aloud into the city these days unless it was urgent business. Whispers erupted all around them and Havoc began to pick up the pace.

"The Fuhrer is in that building straight ahead." Havoc indicated. "I'll drop you off at the door."

Just as they reached the gate to the base, however, several people began to scream and point up into the sky. They all looked up and saw Dante on her broomstick flying overhead, thick black smoke pouring from the bristles as though they were on fire! She looped and dived about, the smoke clearly writing words of warning. Slowly, the entire message became clear…

Surrender…

Winry…

Or…

Die!

Everyone began to panic, wondering who was this Winry? Winry gulped as she saw the message. Ed grabbed her arm and said, "Let's go!"

Without further ado, Ed pushed open the gate just as Havoc unlocked it and dragged Winry inside, followed by Al and Lust. Dante smirked as she saw them running towards the Central HQ. She had sown the seeds of discord. Now she only had to wait and see what grew. She angled her broom around and sped back toward her mansion.

A nondescript woman at the door said, "We're in a bit of a crisis with the arrival of the Wicked Alchemist. Come back tomorrow."

"I really need to see the Fuhrer! This is important!" Winry said.

"And who are you?" the woman asked.

"I'm Winry!"

The woman glanced up at the message in the sky briefly before nodding and opening the door.

"The Fuhrer is extremely busy so make it quick!"

And with that, they were in. It was bedlam. All over soldiers were running about, carrying paperwork, weapons, and telephones. Al, as the largest of the group, walked ahead. It was like parting a river. People skirted around Al and the rest of the group just had to make sure they were walking a few feet behind him. Soon, they made it to an elevator. Once inside, Winry scanned the buttons before seeing one marked "Fuhrer's Office." She pressed it and the elevator doors clanged noisily shut and lurched upwards. It was a short ride, but the closer they got to the top, the darker it got, until they were in a creepy twilight lit by only a few weak lights, most of them flickering. They quietly made their way down a hallway towards a huge pair of double doors.

"Do you think the Fuhrer's in there?" Winry whispered.

"He has to be!" Ed whispered back. "There's only one door on this floor!"

"This is kind of scary!" Al whispered, looking around nervously. "What if he won't see us?"

"Why are we whispering?" Lust asked in a normal voice.

Everyone stopped and scratched their heads. They all shrugged and Lust sweat dropped. They were at the doors. Winry knocked three times and a voice said, "Come in!"

Winry pushed the creaking doors open and they all walked inside. It was a lavish room, quite unlike the foreboding atmosphere of the hallway. A fire was crackling merrily in the corner, and the walls were lined with books. A man was seated at a large desk, in front of a sofa and two armchairs. Another man was standing to the right of the man in the desk. The man in the desk indicated that they should sit. Al and Lust sat in the chairs, while Ed and Winry sat on the couch. The man said, "I am King Bradley, The Fuhrer of Amestris. What is it that you want with me?"

Winry spoke up first. "Please sir! I just want to go home! This isn't my world!"

Ed spoke up next. "I've been having these dreams lately. I don't know what they mean, but I feel like I should. I want to know what they mean!"

Al went next. "I was cursed by Etnad shortly after I was born. I want the curse removed, please."

Lust went last. "I've been a servant to Dante all my life. I want True Life and not this half existence I've been living."

The Fuhrer took this all in, nodding in places, until they were finished. He stood up and said, "I'm sorry. But I can't grant such requests."

They all began to talk at once, asking why. He held up a hand for silence and they quieted down.

"With Dante's appearance, I'm very busy. Until the problem with Dante is cleared up, I can't do anything to help you."

The group got up, sullenly, to leave. Just as they reached the door, however, they were stopped by the Fuhrer. "Wait! I've just had an idea!"

They all turned eagerly to hear it.

"If you can kill the Wicked Alchemist of the West, and bring proof that you did it, I'll grant your requests."

Their faces fell. That was going to be nearly impossible!

"What's the problem? You've already killed Etnad haven't you? Killing Dante can't be that much harder."

"But I killed Etnad on accident! I've never intentionally killed anyone!"

The Fuhrer merely smiled and shrugged.

"My offer stands. Kill Dante, and I'll grant your requests. Good day."

He turned to some paperwork and began filling it out. The man standing beside his desk caught Winry's eye as everyone else turned to leave. It looked like he was trying to tell her something…but the Fuhrer caught her looking and said, "That's Roy Mustang, my second in command. I'm afraid his tongue was cut at an early age and he can't speak."

As the Fuhrer turned back his work, Roy slowly shook his head. Mystified, Winry turned to leave.

What had he been trying to tell her?

As the door shut behind Winry and her group, the Fuhrer's small smile disappeared and he picked up a phone. He dialed only three numbers before saying, "They're on their way. Yes, she had the shoes with her, but I didn't try anything. Of course I know what those shoes are, I'm not ignorant!"

He slammed the phone down, having said his peace. Those shoes were powerful, and he would've loved to have them in his possession. How easily Amestris could be ruled if only he had those shoes! Feeling restless, he stood and walked to the window, watching Winry, Ed, Al, and Lust walking towards the West, the people avoiding them thanks to Dante's message. Would they be able to do what no one else could? He sighed and sat back down to continue his work. Roy could only watch and hope Winry had understood.

As they left Central and continued down the Yellow Brick Road towards the West, Winry couldn't get that look Roy gave her as they left. It bugged her, not knowing what he was trying to say, but couldn't think of anything she could do about it. She pushed it from her mind and instead concentrated on how she was going to kill Dante. She had Ed, Al, and Lust to help her. She had absolutely no weapons and Dante could harness powerful Alchemy as well as six other Sins. Lust could fly and had sharp claws, but if the other six Sins ganged up on her she wouldn't stand a chance. Al was big with an immortal body made of metal, but Dante could probably break him down easily. Ed had a knife and, if he was like the other Ed, formidable fighting skills. But would it be enough? It seemed a hopeless situation no matter which way you looked at it. Some of her unease must have shown on her face, because Ed clapped her on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry. We'll find a way."

She smiled and nodded, looking down the road with more determination. They might not have a plan, but Dante couldn't be immortal. They'd find a way.

They had too…

Ending Note: I'd like to thank all who reviewed once again. It's the reviews that really keep me writing. So please continue reading, reviewing, and of course, enjoying!


	8. Twisted Reality

Wow, after a long and busy month I've finally got enough time to start writing again. I'm so sorry to everyone who's reading this, who had to wait so long.

The path leading to the West was dark and treacherous. Great chunks of the Yellow Brick Road had been torn up in many places, making it difficult to navigate. The closer to they got to the border, the closer night came. Twisted trees began to speckle the land and large crows swooped in and out of view. Finally, as night covered the land entirely, they came to the border between Central and the West.

"Once we cross this border, we'll be out of the Fuhrer's protection." Lust said. "Before we reach Dante's mansion we'll have to pass through the ruins of West City. Don't walk slowly, don't run ahead, and keep watch for the other Sins."

"We don't need your advice!" Ed yelled out, walking purposely ahead of the group.

"Brother! Don't be like that!" Al said, walking after him.

Lust sighed and said, "Maybe when I have my Life he'll trust me more."

"I wouldn't worry too much. Ed is a good person at heart; he's just a little…judgmental." Winry said. "Let's get going."

About one mile into Dante's territory the Yellow Brick Road disappeared entirely. Dante had obviously not liked the idea of a road leading to her territory from the Fuhrer's HQ. Scorch marks were still evident around the area.

"Where exactly is Dante's mansion?" Winry asked.

"It's on the top of the Great Kells the most impressive mountain range in Amestris. The ruins of West City are in the foothills."

Sure enough, Winry could see the Great Kells rising up in the distance. It would only be another hour at most before they reached the ruins of West City and then only another half an hour climb before they reached Dante's mansion. Winry gulped and tried to run a plan through her head. It wasn't going to be easy, but she felt better running through ideas in her head.

Meanwhile, at the top of the Great Kells in Dante's mansion, Dante herself was watching the group of Yellow Brick Road Irregulars approach her position.

"The fools are coming right to me! No doubt they're on some errand set by the Fuhrer. Well, I'll have a warm welcome waiting for them!" Dante turned to Envy, Gluttony, and Wrath. "Go! Bring me that girl and her dog! Grab them and only them! I'll deal with the rest of them once the shoes are back in my possession! Now fly! Fly!"

Dante laughed as the moment of her triumph approached. The Sins flew out and winged their way towards Winry and the others. They stopped hovering over West City, looking for the group. Luckily, for the Sins, the group was waiting at the border of the city.

"Dante and the Sins did this didn't they?" Winry asked.

Lust, Ed, and Al all nodded.

"It's awful. Why would she cause such destruction? Why would she waste so much human life?"

"Not even we knew why we did the things we did." Lust said. "Dante had some plan in her warped mind, but we could only guess at it."

Before they could say anymore, Envy swooped down and grabbed Winry's arms, lifting her into the air. Gluttony grabbed Den, who began to whine and kick. Ed yelled and tried to jump up and grab onto Envy's retreating foot, but Wrath flew in front of him and slashed him across the arm. Ed fell back and beat at the Sin as he flapped in his face and tried to scratch every part of him he could. Ed managed to pull out his knife and plunged it deep into Wrath's leg. He screamed in pain and flew off, his blood pattering on the dry soil.

"Dammit! They got Winry!" Ed yelled out, slamming his fist against a nearby building.

"What are they going to do to her?" Al asked, fear evident in his voice.

"She'll be taken to Dante." Lust said. "And Dante will do whatever it takes to get those shoes from her."

Winry cried out in fear as she was lifted high into the air. She could hear Envy grunting above her, obviously sweating with the effort.

"Will you shut the hell up?!?!?" He finally yelled at Winry. "It doesn't matter how much you scream, I'm still taking you up there!"

"What's wrong with you people? What do you want from me?"

"Those damn shoes! You'd save all of us a headache if you just take them off!"

"And let Dante have them? Never! I don't know what these shoes do, but they're obviously valuable to her and she'll just use them to cause even more devastation to this land!"

"Fine! Then prepare for a night full of painful tortures! At least I'll have something to look forward too…"

Winry didn't get a chance to give a scathing reply. She was thrown from Envy's arms through a window and onto the floor. She got up and was suddenly face to face with Dante. Dante smiled at her and guided her to a chair. Winry felt herself being forced to sit and Dante sat opposite her. She poured them both a cup of tea and said, "Now, we can be civil women about this can't we?"

She held out the cup and Winry took it, not touching a drop. Dante sipped her from her own cup before setting it aside and bringing over a large book. She flipped it open and turned a few pages. She threw a dark smile Winry's way before saying, "Inside this book are some of the harshest, torturous, and powerful Alchemy I know. If you don't give me those shoes, I'll employ them one by one until there is nothing left but the shoes. Now which will it be?"

Winry shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She knew she couldn't take them off. For whatever reason, they were stuck to her feet. But if she told Dante this, there was no way she would believe her. She had to keep her busy somehow…

"Why do you want these shoes so much anyway?"

Dante closed her eyes and smiled. "Why do I want them? Because they are rightfully mine."

"Just because they belonged to your sister doesn't mean they're yours after she dies!"

Dante laughed and said, "Oh you poor foolish girl! I created those shoes myself all those years ago when I first started studying Alchemy. Or, actually, I came up with the idea for them when I started studying Alchemy."

"I don't understand."

"Well, allow me to enlighten you. I first started studying Alchemy when I was sixteen. That was over four hundred years ago."

"That's impossible! You couldn't possibly be that old!"

"I've preserved my youth all these years with those shoes! You see, I discovered the Elixir of Life! The Philosopher's Stone, as it is known." She stood up and walked over to the fireplace before continuing her story. "I watched for four years as people all around me grew old and died. The sight sickened me and I wished to spare myself that fate. I dove into Alchemy, seeking the answers I needed. After another eight bitter years of searching I discovered one simple fact: To preserve my own life, other lives needed to be sacrificed. So I decided I would sacrifice as many people as it would take to ensure my continued longevity. To accomplish this, I needed to kill en masse. I spent many countless nights studying the complicated process of creating artificial humans. Finally, I did it! I created Envy, my first Sin. With his half Life, his lack of emotions, his blood lust, his claws, and his wings, he would fly and kill for me! My parents were perpetually kept in the dark, not believing their sweet daughter capable of such brutal acts. Unfortunately, Envy was only one creature, and he couldn't kill the amount of people necessary to generate a Philosopher's Stone. So I created three more Sins. Lust, Gluttony, and Greed came to be and more and more lives were destroyed and siphoned into a holding container. By this time, my parents had both died and my determination grew! I would not suffer that same indignity! Luckily, with four Sins at my disposal I was able to collect all the lives I would need to create a Philosopher's Stone. I used all my knowledge of Alchemy and forged the human lives into a stone. But its shine was far too bright, too noticeable! I needed to hide it from the world! So I used a powerful piece of Alchemy to transmute the stone over a pair of shoes. Thus, the Blood Red Slippers came to be!"

Winry looked down at her feet in mute horror. She could almost feel the misery flowing from the shoes. So many human lives sacrificed, and she was wearing them! But she still couldn't remove them and needed to stall for more time, so she said, "But why did you give them to your sister?"

Dante laughed and said, "That wasn't my sister! That thing that was wearing my clothes and my shoes was a Sin! I created her to spread my influence over Amestris, to control both East and West! Did you never notice that Etnad, my so called sister's name, is simply my own name spelled backwards? Sloth proved useful, even though she couldn't use the shoes. Everyone simply saw them as a fashionable present. All it took was for me to visit her every few decades and use the shoes to prolong my life. Now, if you'd be so kind as to hand the shoes over?"

Winry slowly stood up and said, "I'll never give these shoes to you!"

She turned and ran for the door as Dante clapped her hands and placed them on the ground. The door slammed shut and Winry turned around only to see Dante standing directly in front of her, one arm on the doorframe.

"The hard way then. Not all my Sins were as obedient as the ones that brought you here. Greed disobeyed me several times and was taken care of in the proper way."

She clapped her hands and placed them on the floor. The floor opened up and a huge vat of oil rose from the ground. Winry could feel the heat baking off of it and mouthed wordlessly in horror. Dante grabbed her arms and dragged her up a ladder to the lip of the vat. She whispered in her ear, "Once your body is completely melted, the shoes will rise to the surface, unmarred. My life will continue as yours ends. A fitting way to die isn't it?"

Winry didn't have to answer. With a huge crash, two objects came hurtling through the window. Envy and Gluttony both crashed into the walls, their wings ripped off, and bounced into the vat of oil. Soon after, Wrath followed, hitting the ground hard, the stumps where his wings had been bleeding freely. He was sobbing in the carpet, unable to move. Dante snarled and turned to the window in time to see Ed, Al, and her own Sin Lust appear. She sputtered incoherent in her rage. Lust flew over to her and said, "You created me. I can think of no fitter punishment than this."

Before Dante could say anything, do anything, Lust shoved her into the oil. Her screams echoed throughout the castle as her flesh melted from her bones, and her bones melted into sludge. Ed helped Winry down. She was shaking with fear. Ed comforted her and said, "It's all over now. The Fuhrer will be able to grant our requests and go home."

Winry suddenly burst into tears, startling Ed and everyone present. Between the sobs, she managed to tell the awful story about the shoes and Dante's own madness. They were all shocked at what they heard. Ed recovered first and said, "All the more reason to get those shoes off you. Come on, let's go."

Winry stood up and walked over to the table where Dante and she had been sitting. On top of the table was the book of Alchemy that Dante had threatened her with. She paused as she touched it. Was it really a good idea that this book get out into the world? All of what Dante learned was in it as well as transmutations she herself had created, her small, straight letters crammed into the margins. She closed the book and put it away on a bookshelf. Something like this was too powerful to destroy, but also to dangerous to use. Once it was put on the shelf, it looked the same as any other book Dante owned and Winry hoped it would spend the rest of eternity in anonymity. With her task done, Winry and the group left the mansion and began the long trek back to Central City. To prove she had really killed the Wicked Alchemist of the West, Winry brought back the broom. It had a strange symbol on the handle, a mark of Alchemy. That should be proof enough for the Fuhrer.

Finally, she'd be able to go home and leave all of these troubles behind.

I apologize again for how late this is. There's only one chapter left before the end, so I'm almost done. I hope this chapter is enjoyable enough to make up for its lateness.


	9. Through the Pain Comes a Reward

Here it is the last chapter in my current story. I hoped you've enjoyed this story and will enjoy my next one whenever I get around to writing it. I'm grateful to all those who read and reviewed.

Winry was emotionally and physically drained from her travels, wanting only to see the Fuhrer so she can go home. Ed, Al, and Lust don't say anything, though their hearts are pumping a little faster (In Al and Lust's case it's just an expression of course) as they realize their own desires will soon be granted. They walked through all the night and were in sight of Central as the sun was coming up.

"There it is." Ed said.

"Central City." Lust said.

"Come on, let's go." Al said.

Winry nodded listlessly and they all approached the gates of Central. Ed knocked on the door and the little window opened again to reveal Havoc.

"Yeah, what is it?"

His eyes widened as he saw Winry hold out the broom.

"Holy crap! You're alive!"

"Don't sound so surprised!" Ed yelled at him.

"Hey, don't yell at me!" Havoc said, holding up his hands. "This wouldn't have been the first time the Fuhrer sent someone to their death. He always sets up impossible tasks for people so they'll give up or die and he won't have to grant their requests."

This roused Winry from her lethargic state. She frowned and braced her feet. She reached through the little hole and dragged Havoc's head out of it.

"Listen you! I don't belong in this world and I want to go home! I don't want to deal with you, I don't want to think about what I've been through, and I want these damn shoes off my feet!"

Everyone stared at her in surprise and slight fear. Havoc quickly opened the small area of the gate and they walked to the Fuhrer's office. Havoc, wanting to get rid of Winry as soon as possible, practically ran to the doors of HQ. When they got there he said, "Same as last time, just walk straight ahead, take the elevator to the top and walk straight ahead to the Fuhrer's office. See ya!"

And he was gone. Winry and her group moved swiftly to the elevator and rode it to the top. They walked down the hall and Winry threw the door open. The Fuhrer and Roy both looked up in surprise as Winry stalked in followed by Ed, then Al, and finally Lust. She marched up to the Fuhrer's desk and tossed the broom onto the Fuhrer's desk.

"There! Proof that I killed the Dante the Wicked Alchemist of the West!"

The Fuhrer slowly turned the broom over and looked up at Roy.

"Close the door if you'd be so kind Col."

Roy closed the door and they all heard an ominous click.

"Why did you lock the door?" Al asked nervously.

The Fuhrer didn't answer. He slowly stood up and walked with the broom to the fireplace. He tossed it in and watched it burn.

"So she really is dead." He muttered when he saw the broom burning until there was nothing left. The Fuhrer turned to face them again and said, "I don't know how you managed to kill Dante, but I'm not going to give you your requests."

"What!?!?!?" Winry screamed at him. She couldn't, no, she _wouldn't_, deal with this anymore! She walked over the Fuhrer and grabbed his lapels, dragging him closer to her. "You said if I killed Dante you would help me! You're going to send me home, right now!"

The Fuhrer's face changed from that of a kindly father figure to a cold, shrewd look. He grabbed Winry's arm and shoved her to the ground. He stood over her and slammed his boot onto her wrist, grinding it into the carpet.

"How dare a filthy human touch me!"

Winry screamed in pain as she felt her wrist break. The pain was enormous! She felt like she was blacking out! Suddenly, she felt the Fuhrer's weight remove itself from her wrist. She quickly sat up, moving away from the insane man. Ed had tackled him to the ground and was wrestling with him. The Fuhrer managed to free one of his arms and grab his sword, plunging it into Ed's side. Ed stopped struggling, allowing the Fuhrer to kick his body off of him and stand. Ed's wound wasn't fatal, but if he didn't get medical attention quickly he would bleed to death. The Fuhrer, bloody sword in hand, turned to Lust and Al.

"Don't even think of trying to help your friends. If you move so much as an inch I'll kill them both."

He turned to face Lust totally now. Lust stared defiantly back.

"You traitor." He whispered. "How could you, after all this time, betray us?"

Lust hesitated but said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

The Fuhrer's lip curled. He pointed his sword at her and said, "Those claws, those wings, are you not a Sin?"

"Dante created me, but I betrayed her! She created us Sins with a half life! I refuse to commit acts of atrocity anymore!"

"You've been around humans for far too long." He replied.

"What does it matter to you? My affairs are none of your business."

He smiled and said, "Oh, but it is my business. Have you ever seen all seven of Dante's Sins in one place?"

Lust was about to say of course but stopped herself. Now that she thought on it she'd only seen Wrath, Gluttony, Envy, and Greed. She'd never questioned why they were known as the Seven Sins when only five were in evidence. Sloth had been explained as being synonymous with Etnad, but what of the seventh? Then it hit her.

"No…you couldn't be."

"But I am. I am the Dante's Seventh Sin, Pride!"

"How can that be?" Alphonse interjected. "All of the Sins have wings and claws! Besides, you've only recently arrived in Amestris while Dante's been here for over four hundred years!"

"Don't be stupid boy!" Pride snarled at him. "Do you really think that was the only way Dante could've created us? I was made differently for use in an emergency. I was to masquerade as a traveler from a distant land and seize control as the next Fuhrer. Once my predecessor died, leaving no heir, there was a political vacuum. I filled that void and, under Dante's orders, unified all of Amestris. The West was run by Dante, the East by one of our own number, the South is a bog, not worth controlling, and Dante appointed a consul of some sort in the North. For over fifty years this system worked with Dante unofficially ruling all of Amestris. But then something went wrong. You, little girl," he turned to face Winry. "You ruined everything. Once you killed Sloth, you threw the system out of balance. I knew we'd have to get rid of you, so I sent you to Dante. Since you're still alive, I assume Dante is dead. All of our plans are for nothing! So I'll kill you and travel to the West to retrieve the book of Alchemy Dante had in her possession. It's rightfully mine anyway."

Winry slowly stood up. If this madman got his hands on that book, all of Amestris would be in danger. This county had suffered enough. Somehow, she would end it here! Pride turned to face her and said, "What are you doing? Do you really think you can defeat me?"

"I don't know. But if I don't try, this country will just continue to suffer!"

Pride turned his sword and said, "Then try."

He charged toward her and barely missed, stabbing his sword into the wall. The only reason he'd missed was because Ed had grabbed his foot as he'd passed by, tripping him and causing his aim to go awry. Winry frantically tried to think of a way to save herself, but was at a loss. She was about to lose all hope as Pride advanced on her, when someone stood in front of her. She looked up and saw Roy slipping on a glove. Pride looked surprised, stopping for a moment. Then his face hardened and he continued advancing on Roy.

No one was sure what really happened next. At one point fire was exploding in all directions and Pride was dodging every blast, disrupting air currents and cutting Roy. Then a strange presence filled the air and Pride's movements slowed, his actions became sluggish, and Roy was able to burn him in his fire. Winry and her group watched as Pride slowly melted away into nothing before their very eyes. When it was over, Roy reached into the goopy mess and pulled out a small red object. He placed it on the stub of his tongue and small sparks danced over the gash until the two pieces joined again. He coughed slightly then sat behind the Fuhrer's desk.

"Hello. My name is Roy Mustang and I'm the true Fuhrer."

Everyone was speechless at this announcement. So much had happened in the last few minutes it was hard to process this.

"Allow me to explain. I was actually set to be the next heir, but was ambushed by Dante and Pride. They cut out my tongue using Alchemy so I couldn't defend myself when they took over. Pride said no one had been chosen as successor and so I was shunted over into Col., basically his advisor. I tried to warn you before you left to fight Dante, but I guess I wasn't explicit enough. Anyway, thank you for setting things right. Now, I believe you all have some requests?"

"Please, can you help Ed first?" Winry said. "He's badly hurt."

Roy smiled and nodded. He snapped his fingers and more healing fire leapt from the air and over Ed's wounds. In minutes, they were closing and Ed slowly sat up.

"Ugh…what happened?"

Winry quickly filled him in before turning back to Roy.

"So who's first?" he asked.

"I'll go." Al said, approaching Roy. "When I was a little boy, Etnad used Alchemy to curse me into this form. My soul is anchored to this armor. My request is to be returned to my true body."

Roy stood up and knocked on Al's chest plate. "I'll need your original body to do that. Do you mind if I open the armor up?"

"I'm sorry, but you can't. Etnad sealed it shut."

"That's no problem." Roy snapped his fingers and a few small explosions was all it took to open Al's chest plate. To everyone's astonishment, Al's body fell out.

"What the-?" Ed said. "How--?"

"Etnad was a Sin and couldn't perform Alchemy well, so she needed a place close by to store your brother's body. Pretty ingenious though. Ah, I can see the blood seal now. Okay, this should be easy enough."

He snapped his fingers and tongues of flame leaped from his fingers and over the blood seal. It traced the shape and quickly removed it. The burning emblem then placed itself on Al's body's forehead. It slowly sunk in and a few minutes after, Al opened his eyes. He stood up and looked himself over.

"I'm normal again!" He yelled out throwing his arms up.

He ran over to Ed and nearly knocked him over as he hugged him. "It's so good to feel again brother!"

Ed hugged him back and said, "It's good to see you happy again Al."

Al grinned at him then turned to Lust. "You go next."

Lust nodded and said, "I was born a Sin, through no fault of my own. I just want a full life and not this cursed half life."

Roy nodded and said, "You were human once, but in order to turn you into a Sin, Dante had to commit the Sin you're named for and sacrifice a human. So all I have to do is remove the mark of your curse and you'll go back to normal. Ah, there it is."

He snapped his fingers and the same tongues of flame reached out and traced her Ouroboros tattoo, effectively removing it. Lust's body was suddenly engulfed in light, blinding everyone nearby. The light disappeared and everyone looked in amazement at Lust. Her hair was lighter, and her skin was dark like the Ishbalens. Her eyes were no longer violet and cat like, but soft and human. She touched her chest over her heart and closed her eyes. She smiled as she felt it beat.

"Thank you. Words cannot describe my gratitude." She turned to Ed. "Can you forgive me for what I did to this world?"

Ed blushed and said, "It wasn't your fault. You were being manipulated."

Lust smiled and said, "Then you go next Ed."

Ed turned to Roy and said, "All I want…"

"Is to become taller?" Roy interrupted, smirk on his face.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE NEEDS A LADDER TO REACH A TODDLER'S TOE YOU JERK!!!!"

"Whoah, take it easy kid. It was just a joke."

Ed calmed down and said, "I've been having strange dreams all my life and I've always had a feeling I was missing something. I want to know what that is."

Roy looked him straight in the eyes and said, "You're an Alchemist of course. I can't believe you never noticed it. I wouldn't try anything though until you've been trained."

Ed looked shocked and said, "How can I be and Alchemist?"

"It's something you're born with kid, you can't do anything about it." Roy said. "It looks like I'm going to have to train you myself though, and that'll be a pain."

He turned to Winry and said, "What about you?"

"I just want to go home." Winry said.

Roy sighed and sat back down in his chair behind his desk.

"I have to admit I've never had it so easy granting requests. Where in Amestris do you live?"

"I don't live in this Amestris. My house was picked up in a cyclone and dropped here. I come from a parallel Amestris."

Roy instantly lost his relaxed pose and leaned forward.

"Well, if that's the case, then I can't help you. I'm sorry."

He turned in his chair to look out a window. Winry felt her heart sink, tears welling up in her eyes. She'd never go home, she'd never see her Ed or Al ever again, she'd never see her grandmother, or sleep in her own bed, or work on her own automail inventions ever again. Ed, seeing the anguish in Winry's eyes, ran over to Roy's chair, spun it around and started yelling at him, "What do you mean you can't help her? What the hell's your problem? Can't you see how hurt she is? She doesn't belong here; she belongs in her own world with her own family and friends!"

Roy pushed Ed aside and stood up. He walked over to Winry and carefully picked up her right hand. Winry gasped as pain flared in her wrist. In all the excitement and worry about Ed she'd totally forgotten about her own broken wrist. Roy mended it with a snap of his fingers and sighed, "Listen, it's not like I don't want to help you. I'm grateful for everything you've done, but you don't understand. It's beyond my power to send her to her own world. It would take an Alchemist of legendary power to do something like that."

Winry suddenly had an idea.

"Wait! These shoes are the Philosopher's Stone! Surely that would help you in your transmutation!"

Roy looked surprised at this news. He knelt down and felt the shoes, as though feeling for something. After a few minutes he shook his head and stood up.

"No. Not even the Philosopher's Stone would be enough to help me."

"Well then it looks like I'm going to have to step in."

Everyone in the room turned and looked at the door as it slowly closed behind a mysterious cloaked figure.

"It's you!" Al said pointing. "You were the one who helped my brother and Winry in the poppy field!"

The cloaked figure lowered her hood and revealed who she really was.

"Izumi!" Winry exclaimed in surprise.

Izumi smiled and nodded, walking toward Winry.

"It's good to see you survived your ordeal Winry. I'm sorry you were sent on that terrible mission, but it was necessary. Not even Pride or Dante knew I was working behind the scenes. I have to admit you were an X in the equation. No one had seen you coming but Dante tried to take advantage of it by claiming the shoes. Luckily I had seen your house falling and I came rushing to the scene. When I saw it was just a defenseless girl I was worried. I didn't have much time and I knew Dante would be coming soon, so I devised a plan. You would wear the shoes to Central and I would talk to you after you spoke with the Fuhrer. I couldn't talk to you after you left, you moved too fast and I wasn't prepared. But from the gossip of the townsfolk I learned you were traveling to the West to confront Dante. I knew then that I had to let you go. If I stopped you, who would take care of Dante? I didn't trust myself to do it anymore, not after all the times Dante has slipped away from me in the past. But everything turned out fine in the end. You're alive, the shoes are safe, and Amestris is ripe for reform at last."

Roy smiled at her and said, "Well, well. I meet the famed Alchemist of the North herself. Everyone said you'd died a long time ago and were replaced by the Fuhrer's Consul."

Izumi turned to Roy and said, "No, that was I lie I devised myself to keep control of the North away from Dante."

"But you said you didn't know Alchemy!" Winry protested.

"I said that so no one would suspect my true identity." She turned back to Roy and said, "We have much to discuss on the running of this country. First and foremost, I want to train these two to take control of the East and West." She indicated Ed and Al.

"WHAT?!?!?" They both shouted out.

"But I'm not an Alchemist!" Al cried.

"And how the hell am I supposed to run a quarter of the country?!?" Ed asked.

"SHUT UP!!! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT SO JUST BE STILL!!!"

Ed and Al both recoiled, and murmured, "Yes ma'am."

Izumi turned back to Winry and said, "Now I'll send you home Winry."

Winry's face lit up and she said, "Really? You know how?"

Izumi nodded and said, "Now that Dante's gone, I can remove the transmutation on the shoes and send you home. It'll only take a moment, so when you're ready to leave just say so."

Winry nodded and ran over to Ed and Al. She hugged them both and said, "I'll miss you both."

They both hugged her back and said their good-byes. Winry then turned to Izumi and said, "I'm ready to go!"

Izumi clapped her hands and placed them on the shoes. With a flash of red light the shoes disappeared off Winry's feet and reappeared in Izumi's hands. She set them on the ground in front of Winry and clapped her hands again, placing them on the shoes. A surge of red electricity discharged from the shoes and engulfed Winry and Den. Winry closed her eyes as she felt herself being lifted off the ground. She began to spin faster and faster, until she felt sick with it. She didn't dare open her eyes for fear of what she would see. Finally, the spinning started to slow down and she opened her eyes. She gasped in delight at what she saw. All of Resembool was laid out before her like a toy countryside. She was slowly lowered to the ground directly outside her house which was back in its original place. Izumi must've sent that along as well. Winry ran towards the door and stopped as she saw a piece of the ground lift up to reveal Ed and Al, exiting the storm cellar. Their eyes met and they just stared for a few minutes. Finally Winry gave a shout of joy and ran forward, taking Ed in a power hug.

"I'm so happy to see you two!" She sobbed.

Ed, looking a little freaked out, patted Winry on the back and said, "We were worried about you too Winry!"

"You'll never believe what I've been through!" she said.

"We're just glad you found a shelter from the cyclone." Al replied.

Winry was about to say no, and explain her adventure but stopped. Would Ed and Al even believe her? It was a pretty wild story and not altogether believable. So she just smiled and said, "I'm glad too. I'm going to get changed and start working on your arm again Ed right away."

She turned to leave, but was stopped by Ed.

"Before you start working again, why don't we go do something together? Like we used too?"

Winry's face broke out in a grin and she said, "Really?"

Ed nodded and Winry squealed in joy, grabbed Ed's and Al's arm and dragging them toward the countryside.

The End

Whew, that chapter took longer than I thought it would. I've already got plans for my next story. It's another parody, because I don't have any original ideas that are fully fleshed out at this time. I've got about three or four different plot ideas but none of them are very good right now. I need some more time to work on them, so another parody will come first. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this story, because I enjoyed writing it! Review please, but don't flame and as always, keep a look out for my next story.


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